Roadblock (robot)
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Height | 0.40 m (1.3 ft) |
| Width | 1.10 m (3.6 ft) |
| Depth | 1.45 m (4.8 ft) |
| Weight | 82.5 kg (182 lb) |
| Weight class | Heavyweight |
| Primary weapon | Wedge |
| Secondary weapon(s) | Circular saw |
| Maximum speed | 5 mph (8.0 km/h) |
| Turning circle | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Ground clearance | 10 mm (0.39 in) |
| Power source | 2 × 12V batteries |
| Team | |
| Team members | Chris Kinsey Hender Blewett Peter Kinsey |
| Location | Bodmin, Cornwall |
| Country of origin |
 United Kingdom
|
| Statistics from Roadblock's heat appearance on Robot Wars series one. | |
Roadblock was a combat robot that competed on the British television series Robot Wars. Constructed in 1997 by A-level students from Bodmin Community College, the robot was initially called "Road Rage" but was renamed in response to a request from the programme's producers. Both names were derived from the robot's distinctive construction from metal roadsigns. Roadblock was champion of the first series of Robot Wars and finished in third place for the second series. Although Roadblock was armed with a circular saw weapon, its success was primarily due to its wedge-shaped body—Roadblock could drive underneath opponent robots and invert them, rendering many immobile.
For the third series of Robot Wars, the Roadblock team returned with an extensively modified successor to Roadblock called Beast of Bodmin. This robot was equipped with the same circular saw blade weapon alongside fibre glass armour-plating and a powered lifting tusk to assist with flipping its opponents. Beast of Bodmin was defeated in the second round of the series semi-finals, and after this the Roadblock team never again appeared on Robot Wars.
Work on Roadblock began in May 1997, in response to a letter sent to Peter Kinsey, Head of Technology at Bodmin Community College. It contained information on Robot Wars, an American robot combat tournament, and enclosed an application form for a British television series based on the format. A-level student Hender Blewett constructed a contestant robot as a practical project, with assistance from teacher Peter Kinsey and fellow student Chris Kinsey. The build process took approximately three months. Roadblock was originally called "Road Rage", but was renamed upon the producers' request. Roadblock's primary weapon was its wedge-shaped armour, which was almost entirely formed from road signs. A modified electric wheelchair provided drive and a chassis; a strimmer engine was mounted onto the rear of this to power a hardened steel circular saw blade weapon.
Roadblock was the first ever contestant robot introduced on Robot Wars, and the first to run the Gauntlet. This preliminary round saw competitors having to negotiate an obstacle course with the goal of reaching an end zone. The robot which took the longest to do so, or which covered the least distance, was eliminated from the competition. Roadblock successfully negotiated the course, reached the end zone, and qualified for the Trial. This round featured a particular challenge which changed each week. For the first heat, the Trial was a sumo wrestling match against a house robot called Shunt. The robot which lasted the least time on a raised podium with Shunt would be eliminated. Roadblock outmanoeuvred Shunt and pushed it off the podium, but not without driving off itself.
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